Working Replica of Noah's Ark Opens
In SCHAGEN, Netherlands
The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was thrown open
Saturday for the first crowd of curious Pilgrims and townsfolk to behold
the wonder.
Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark , built by Dutch
Creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal
truth of the Bible.
The ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's
two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story
house.
 Life-size
models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and
other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold.
A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine -Biblical
Scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been.
Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and
with occasional help from his son Roy. Construction began in May 2005.
On the uncovered top deck - not quite ready in time for the opening -
will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats, and
one camel. Visitors on the first day were stunned.
'It's past comprehension, ' said Mary Louise Starosciak, who happened to
be bicycling by with her husband while on vacation when they saw The ark
looming over the local landscape. 'I knew the story of Noah, but I had
no idea the boat would have been so big.'
There is enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater where
kids can watch a video that tells the story of Noah and his ark.
Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in
the Netherlands , where church going has fallen dramatically in the past
50 years.
''If You Need Help, Ask God. If You Don't, Thank God''...
'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and
I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.' Psalm 23:6
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